Research Experience

Resident David Hampton, M.D., recipient of the 2014 Raymond H. Alexander, M.D. Resident Paper Competition

Residents have the option to spend a full academic year in their fourth year of residency as a research resident. Permission to do a research year is highly competitive and requires that the resident attend and present at several research conferences throughout the year. Research residents must participate in the OHSU Research Fair and be open to exploring a variety of research within our divisions.

Residents that are interested in research must choose a mentor from the Department of Surgery faculty and then develop a research proposal to be submitted in December of their third year of residency. Once approved by the Research Committee, the residents will then complete one year of research under the direction of Bruce Wolfe, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.S.M.B.S. and Belinda McCully, Ph.D.  A second year of research is occasionally possible, as is research with off-site mentors. Contact for more information on the program and how to apply.

Learn more about the role of research within the OHSU Department of Surgery

Check out what our 2018-2019 research residents are investigating:

Christian Crannell, M.D. | General Surgery

My Mentor

David Zonies, M.D., M.P.H.

My Focus

General surgery, acute care surgery, critical care, and surgery education.

My Research

Broadly speaking, I am interested in what it means to be competent within surgical education. My current project is designing an "entrustable professional activity" to guide education around extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Aaron Cunningham, M.D. | Pediatric Surgery

My Mentors

Elizabeth Fialkowski, M.D., and Sanjay Krishnaswami, M.D.

My Focus

Pediatric Surgery

My Research

My research looks at minimizing variance in pediatric surgical care by merging quality improvement with trainee education.

Elizabeth Gilliam, M.D. | Pediatric Surgery

My Research

Dr. Elizabeth Gilliam has a two-year pediatric surgery research grant at UCLA.

Kristen Limbach, M.D. | Surgical Oncology

My Mentors

Rodney Pommier, M.D., and SuEllen Pommier, Ph.D.

My Focus

Surgical Oncology

My Research

A randomized, prospective trial comparing progression free survival with Octreotide treatment after liver debulking for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

Saunders Lin, M.D. |

My Research

Dr. Saunders Lin received a two-year research grant at NYU.

Elie Ramly, M.D. | Plastic Surgery

My Research

Dr. Ramly received a two-year plastic surgery research grant at NYU Langone Health.

Raga Siddharthan, M.D. | General Surgery

My Mentor

V. Liana Tsikitis, M.D., M.C.R., F.A.C.S., F.A.S.C.R.S.

My Focus

General Surgery

My Research

My research looks at miRNA markers for colon cancer risk stratification.

Sawyer Smith, M.D. | Trauma Surgery

Sawyer Smith, M.D., Research Resident

My Mentors

Martin Schreiber, M.D., Albert Chi, M.D., Arvin Gee, M.D., Ph.D.

My Focus

Trauma, Critical Care and Acute Care Surgery

My Research

My research focus is on improving the outcomes for our trauma and acute care surgical patients. My main project is investigating the use of mesenchymal stem cells for the prevention of acute respiratory distress syndrome after traumatic injury. I am also working on projects involved with targeted muscle reinnervation for upper extremity amputees along with various clinical outcome projects involving our trauma patients.

Brett Walker, M.D. | Surgical Oncology

My Mentors

Kevin Billingsley, M.D., F.A.C.S., and Skye Mayo, M.D., M.P.H.

My Focus

Surgical Oncology

My Research

My research focus is on early detection of colitis-associated colorectal cancer and recurrent metastatic disease.